


Agnosia

by GintaxAlvissforever



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Anal Fingering, Angst, Character Study, Denial of Feelings, Implied Relationships, In which Byleth is an oblivious idiot that fails to realize that words hurt, In which both genders of Byleth exist, Jealousy, M/M, Masturbation, Potential Spoilers, Sexual Fantasy, Sexual Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension, self-deprecation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-22
Updated: 2019-07-22
Packaged: 2020-07-09 22:24:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19895323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GintaxAlvissforever/pseuds/GintaxAlvissforever
Summary: The moment Claude learned that Byleth wasn’t adept at certain social cues, the more he realized how annoying that trait was. If only his teacher would fully understand the implications of his words.





	Agnosia

**Author's Note:**

> I’m out here suffering with everyone who wanted to S rank Claude as male Byleth. Don’t mind me with this pre-release quickie here. 
> 
> I’m using both genders here but male is Byleth and female is Beth. Jeralt has his work cut out for him. 
> 
> “Agnosia” is the inability to process sensory information.

The Officer's Academy had their share of unique teachers. Each teacher specialized in something different, allowing students to learn from each of them differently. Each teacher had their own flaws. You had Manuela who, despite being a former songstress and a wonderful healer, seemed more interested in finding a significant other than teaching half the time. Hanneman was dedicated to his crest research but fell into petty squabbles when it came to Manuela. Seteth and Jeritza kept others at arm's length.

The new twin teachers though were far from perfect but some students wouldn't care. Their names were Byleth and Beth, the son and daughter of the legendary knight Jeralt. Their exceptional skills easily got them accepted into the academy as a teacher. They were rather young to be even considered teachers but the archbishop made an exception. All they needed to do was pick a house they were going to teach.

At this point, their father made it clear that the elder twin would be the one to decide. Jeralt surprisingly played favorites. He loved his daughter but he always seemed to give the son the ultimate option. In which case, Byleth didn't hesitate when he decided he would teach the Golden Deers. From there, the twins introduced themselves to the Golden Deers and things would hit it off.

While Beth was easier to interact with, the same couldn't be said about Byleth. Byleth was serious, straight to the point, and seemed devoid of emotion half the time. The only time he showed emotion was when he was around his father or when his sister irritated him. Otherwise, he kept his emotions in check, which was needed for a tactician on the battlefield. When he spoke, his words carried weight. He learned what his students' strengths and weaknesses were immediately. He suggested and pushed his students to learn what they excel in and nurture the hidden talent within. Overall, having the twins teach one of the houses would guarantee that these students excel at the top of the three houses.

Honestly, it wasn't a surprise how popular Byleth would become the moment he started teaching at the academy. He was handsome, intelligent, and had a good-heart underneath his emotionless mask. Many noble girls admired Byleth from a distance while wishing they were in with the Golden Deers to see him up close. They were the ones who hid behind a wall and left heart stamped letters at the teal haired instructor's desk. Byleth didn't acknowledge any of the letters and tried to identify the sender by asking Beth. She wasn't that much help. She understood these maidens wanted to keep their young love a secret. According to Beth, Byleth's bluntness had broken hearts during their days as mercenaries. Now that Byleth was a teacher, he would probably go above and beyond his bluntness and hurt them unintentionally. As a result, it was best not to fall in love with her brother to avoid a headache and heartbreak.

Beth's warning didn't mean much. Claude noticed that others had started developing crushes on the new professor. Marianne, for example, didn't interact with anyone before meeting Byleth. While Byleth kept things short and sweet with her, Claude saw how his teacher was more lenient with her. His patience paid off seeing as how she started opening up to him.

Lysithea was another member of the Golden Deers to develop a crush on Byleth. He was one of the first adults to not treat her like a child and she appreciated that. Claude also remembered how Byleth had no problem shielding her from an oncoming attack that would have wounded her. Despite the scolding she got, Lysithea fell for their teacher rather hard. Some of the letters that Byleth got were from her but no one was going to out her for sending said letters.

If it was just those two girls and a bunch of other girls not in the Golden Deers, Claude probably wouldn't be feeling on edge. However, Byleth's charm reached members of the other houses that it was impossible to ignore.

The Black Eagles were the more aggressive members of the school. Byleth not going to them annoyed their future Empress greatly (Claude wished Edelgard would realize she can't keep stomping her foot until she got her way). But just because Edelgard and Hubert were going to be antagonistic didn't mean the other members weren't.

Bernadetta for example seemed to attract Byleth's attention. He had approached her seeing the potential she had in combat. Many times she refused to leave the Black Eagles but Byleth remained persistent. Some of his weekends were spent trying to get her out of her room and talk to him. Progress was eventually made and Bernadetta started interacting with Byleth more. While the paperwork hadn't been filled out, Byleth got her hook, line and sinker. But it's not like Claude could blame her for crushing on the professor when he actively went to her and saw things she didn't see.

But even if Byleth only paid attention to Bernadetta, there was another student who had eyes on him but it wasn't as obvious. At this point, it was established that Linhardt was one of the laziest students in the school. (Between him and Hilda, Claude still believed that Hilda was lazier). Lynhardt only cared about crests and slept during everything else. When the pretty boy was awake and he wasn't in the library, he would actually be one of the many Byleth's admirers in the background. Lynhardt played his interactions with the professor as a coincidence but only the observant ones would understand it was just a farce to get close to Byleth. If Bernadetta could be persuaded, perhaps the same could happen to him too if he quietly chased after the professor. With how oblivious Byleth was, it would take a while.

The worst offender was from the Blue Lions. Claude sighed in relief that Dimitri maintained that chivalrous mindset. He failed to register that he might find both twins attractive. As long as his mind focused on the academy, he was never going to be an issue. But if Dimitri didn't interfere with Byleth, his childhood friend would.

It wasn't Sylvain. That guy was a skirt chaser and more interested in Beth. Funny enough, it seemed like the feeling was mutual and the only reason why the womanizer didn't ask to join the Golden Deers was because Byleth did not want his sister to dictate who came in based on her sexual preference.

It wasn't Ingrid. She was a bright, radiant girl who was one of the few students who might have fallen for the charm of the twins. Her devotion was toward Dimitri and her childhood friends. So Claude scratched her off rather easily.

It was Felix. He was the last one Claude would have expected to also develop a crush on Byleth. Who could blame him? Whenever Beth tried to recruit Sylvain, she dragged her brother along to show off. Felix was usually in the same area. He dismissed him at first but the short professor needed to show off her sword skills to impress Sylvain. And that's where her plan failed. Sylvain was pleased by the sword performances that Byleth and Beth put on often but it wasn't persuasive enough. Felix however, took interest as a result. Claude couldn't have his eyes in every area of the monastery, but something happened when he was tasked to work on an assignment by his favorite teacher. During that time, whatever subtle affection Felix had became obvious. Again, Byleth was oblivious to anyone showing any sign of affection so that should have been the end.

But it wasn't. Claude knew better. Byleth might not have noticed how his charm affects his students but it wouldn't be long until a student confessed to him outright. If they were as blunt as him, Byleth might return their feelings...but only if it was someone he cared about. Random girls who never had a chance would be heartbroken...but what happened if it was one of Byleth's students...or one of the students he personally recruited...what then?

Byleth was unpredictable. No matter how much Claude schemed, he didn't really have much hope in figuring out his teacher. He didn't understand why Byleth would even pick the Golden Deers when it would have made more sense to pick the other two houses. Beth told him it was because Byleth felt more at home if there were more commoners amongst the nobles. That seemed to be correct but there had to be more than just that. Byleth was difficult to read unlike Beth. He didn't let his guard down around anyone unless it was his family.

And that was annoying. For someone who wanted to be on top of everything and prepare himself for the worst outcome, his professor wasn't giving it to him. And it's not even because Byleth didn't trust him. It's just in his personality…

His personality...was it really his personality...or…

"Claude, are you paying attention?"

Oh yeah, he was in class! Byleth showed no mercy for slackers or daydreamers. He would put you on the spot if he thought you were messing around.

"Of course. When am I not listening to your sexy voice?"

Byleth didn't miss a beat when anyone else might have gawked at his boldness.

"You can listen to me all you want but if you are not getting the information then you are wasting my time."

Claude felt Lorenz's smirk from behind him. Sometimes, Byleth's words cut like a knife.

"Ouch. Your words wound me," Claude said, keeping his smile on his face.

"Then tell me what I asked you."

Byleth's teaching methods were different from the others. Some teachers were by the book. Others preferred to show it on the battlefield. There were teachers who did a little bit of both. The twins had a unique way of teaching. They didn't have a set planner. Sometimes they would read unrelated text to then Byleth or Beth asked out of the box questions about. Sometimes it would be self-study and the twins would go around to see what the students are spending their class time on. And then Beth would sometimes spend the entire class just rambling on about mercenary stories. Some were fables and they were easier to catch with how Beth loved to exaggerate her achievements. The ones that were true usually had an obvious confirmation from her older twin. Regardless if the stories were true or not, Byleth would ask the class about the scenarios that his younger twin spoke about and then ask about the pros of cons of the idea and what they would have done and how that might have turned out.

Overall, the twins valued engagement more than anything...even if Byleth was on the anti-social side.

"We were reading about Juliet's antiques in battle," Claude recalled. "Her reaction to Romeo's banishment lead to more problems. She was better off waiting for news instead of acting on her emotions."

Byleth didn't seem all that impressed. Beth spoke up for him.

"That's a decent summary. Brother asked why her plan still went decently despite being run on emotions."

Claude gazed at the female professor. He had a feeling Byleth didn't say anything at all. She was just testing him to see if he was listening. His silence was a better response than trying to correct or answer her.

"Mind-games are not going to work, Beth." Byleth confirmed what Claude thought. "But I expected a better response from you nonetheless."

But that was all Byleth was going to say because there was a student more problematic than him. It wasn't just Lorenz that was acting smug for Claude staring off. Hilda was snickering too but Byleth turned his attention to the lazy noble.

"Hilda, will you continue where I left off?"

The pink haired student froze in place. She wasn't paying attention and she would pay for it too.

"If the way we are telling the story is boring, perhaps you two would like to write an essay on the battle plans for his part?"

When all else fails, drag Hilda down with him.

"What?! You can't do that! I was paying attention!" Hilda cried. "I mean…"

Byleth shook his head. "Do not try to talk your way out of this. I expect a five page essay from both of you."

 _No mercy indeed._ Claude chuckled to himself. He was really lucky that Byleth wasn't his enemy. Otherwise, it would be worse than a forced assignment.

Despite Hilda's fake tears, Byleth continued the class like he didn't just punish the two students. With the attention on the noble's daughter, Claude could return to musing.

* * *

Besides Byleth's rather mean-streak with the sudden five page essay, class ended without any problems. Byleth insisted that everyone think about the scenarios in the story in order to think outside the box. Beth added that they'd be testing on their current assignments tomorrow. If anyone did well in their eyes, they would be able to take an exam in order to qualify to use the weapon they've been studying on.

Claude found himself without that much energy. Even though he knew he should probably get something to eat in the dining hall, he went back to the dorms instead. His head wasn't screwed on all the way. The more he thought about his professor, the more annoyed he got. That feeling in his chest threatened to attack him again and he only had himself to blame. Musing over Byleth in class only added stress and stress would lead to a mistake if he wasn't careful.

Too much was at stake. Claude was given so many tasks. He needed to survive the school year and show that he was a capable leader to the alliance. He needed to learn who could be his allies in his future and who couldn't. He needed to be able to scout for a potential lover. The failure to do that would result in his lover being chosen for him and Claude did not need anyone deciding who should be tied to him for the rest of his life.

But everything would crash if he let his heart do the planning. His heart told him to confine in Byleth. His brain also liked how his heart thought. His body yearned for his professor.

Claude reached the dorm area and made it to his room. There were still a few students walking around during the evening but he needed the time alone. He didn't need food. He just needed to change out of his clothes and wake up early tomorrow.

But sleep wasn't going to come to Claude instantly. Instead, the leader of the Leicester Alliance burned his eyes at the ceiling above him.

Claude had came to the conclusion early on that his professor was different from the other people he had met in his life. Whether it was because of his piercing gaze or how he handled himself on the battlefield. Maybe it was how he demonstrated many skills that were fit for a leader and how he picked up new techniques quickly. Claude wondered what Byleth thought about him...Edelgard and Dimitri were better picks if he wanted a student who was obedient and ready to learn. Why him? Why pick the one who had no problem retreating in an easy fight or schemed behind everyone's back? What was his goal?

The brunette returned to reality upon hearing a knock at the door. Claude sat up and looked at the door in confusion. At first, he thought he was mishearing things. Then he heard a knock and realized that someone wanted to talk to him. He rose from his bed and quietly walked over to the door. His heart started beating. Claude had this feeling that he knew who was on the other side, and anxiety started to well up in his stomach.

Opening the door was a bad idea. Byleth waited on the other side. Claude's immediate idea was to close the door and pretend that it was a ghost in front of his door.

"Oh, Teach! Couldn't get enough of me, I see."

Claude needed to force himself to flirt with Byleth if it meant he would get upset and leave. But Byleth had gotten used to his sugar-flavored words. They weren't all that useful for an offense anymore.

"Claude, I need to talk to you."

Uh oh…

"Claude, I noticed you did not go to the dining room after class. At first I thought you went somewhere else to relax. From careful observation, I believe that you in fact are trying to skip supper."

Someone had a bad spying habit…

"It's nothing for you to worry about, Teach," Claude began with a forced smile. "I'm just going to sleep it off."

"You are not the type to sleep early."

 _Please stop getting on my case._ Claude thought darkly to himself. "Today is just one of those days. Teach, I'm fine. No need to worry your pretty little head about it."

"...Have you started your paper? It has been at least an hour and twenty minutes…"

"Teach…"

Byleth failed to register that he was starting to agitate his student with questions that he didn't want to hear. Students were allowed to have some privacy, yet Byleth was starting to invade his.

"Tomorrow, you have to be prepared to take the quiz on flying," Byleth continued without even observing the younger male's face. "You are an intelligent student. I believe that the sooner you pass this test, the stronger you will be on the battlefield."

 _I could care less now._ Claude thought to himself. "...Is that it, Teach? If it is...I kind of want to sleep…"

He hoped that Byleth would take a hint. Again, the teal haired teacher didn't understand that his student wanted to be left alone.

"...I do not believe you will be sleeping when I leave you for the night," Byleth told him bluntly. He folded his arms and continued to give Claude a cold stare. "I wish you would understand how serious this is."

"It's not that serious…"

"No, it is. I feel like I am not doing enough for you. I feel like you could have improved faster had I been keeping focus on you. I do not wish to look up your family and message them that you are not doing as well as they want…"

This was bad! If Byleth pushed hard enough, Claude might spill a secret or two he doesn't want anyone to know. Family was just one of those things that Claude rather not think about. Byleth was sharp so it needed to be a topic that would distract him. But it was a shame that Byleth failed to comprehend how uncomfortable Claude was about his family being mentioned.

"Speaking of messages, don't you have those letters to respond to?"

By letters, Claude was referring to the love letters that piled up in Byleth's room. Granted, the twins had received their fair share of them for a few months now. Beth had been scolded by her father to not respond to any of them, knowing full well Beth would have used these as an excuse to commit adultery in the academy. In contrast, Byleth was not interested in them in the slightest. He found it annoying and originally threw them away. The letters returned the next day and the day after that until Byleth realized that they weren't just going to go away just because he wished it. Many of his admirers were stubborn. Until Byleth answered honestly, they wouldn't leave him alone. Admittingly, Claude had left at least one letter as a joke. Since Byleth refused to read many of the letters, it would be hilarious if he finally had to open up the letters and see one of them wasn't anonymous.

Just reminding Byleth was enough for him to forget why he was even visiting his student in the first place.

"Why would I respond to leeches?"

Byleth failed to realize how cruel he sounded. Yes, those innocent girls were best not knowing how the stoic professor thought of them. However, Claude had this nagging feeling that the sour response was directed at Manuela who made him uncomfortable.

"Wow, you don't pull any punches, Teach," Claude said. He forced himself to smile since he didn't want to admit that Byleth's words stung a bit.

"If these people have anything to say, they should tell me in person," Byleth continued. "And then I will tell them no because they are students, and it is unprofessional to engage in a relationship."

"Awww~. Even if it ends up being a student you know?"

Claude was trying to give a hint. It could have meant anyone…

"It would still be no," Byleth answered truthfully. "I am not like Beth. I am not going to ruin the reputation of my father for a little excitement as she would call it."

In the end, Byleth prioritized his father over anyone else. Claude just needed to accept that…

"Beth was right. You really are a Daddy's Boy~."

There was some venom in his tone. He couldn't help it slip. Byleth wouldn't catch him slipping anyway. Instead, his eyes narrowed in anger at the implications.

"First of all, you should not be addressing my sister without her title. Second of all, I am not a 'Daddy's Boy' as you would like to call it. Third of all…" Byleth wanted to add something else but then shut his mouth. He seemed to have said more than he wanted. "...Just make sure you get to class on time tomorrow. I need you to start taking your flying lessons seriously."

Huh? What was Byleth going to say? Claude opened his mouth to say something but Byleth had already decided to leave him in the dark. Alone in his dorm to ponder what he could have said.

 _...You're not being fair, Teach._ Claude thought darkly to himself. He closed the door and made sure to lock it. He didn't want anyone coming in. _Why are you able to say what you want without thinking about the consequences?_

Claude didn't like scowling. He needed to keep the facade that he was a good natured guy. Yes, he was sneaky but he was still a good person underneath the smiles. If anyone saw him with an expression that didn't match their view of him, they would be more weary.

Frustration was a normal emotion to feel for Claude. When behind closed doors, it was easier for his true persona to slip. He removed his clothes to stop himself from doing anything stupid to his room. The frustration was being sent straight to his groin. How pitiful for a leader to feel arousal from a teacher who remained oblivious to how he felt.

"Teach...this is your fault…" Claude said to himself. No one was in the room and no one was outside of his room. He was allowed to complain to himself. "If you weren't so meddlesome...I wouldn't…"

He quickly hopped on top of his bed grunting when his cock rubbed against the sheet. He needed to get this under control. If he forced himself to sleep without relieving himself, he'd only be more exhausted when he went to class tomorrow. The twins already caught him slacking. If it got worse, they would attack him with unwanted questions. The fewer questions they ask, the easier things would be for him.

But even if Beth took the hint, Byleth would push him into the corner. He would end up a deer in front of a terrifying faith magic attack and there would be nothing he could do about it. Byleth was a predator waiting for his prey to let his guard down to attack…

If Byleth took care of him, the pain would be tolerable. Claude just needed his mind to clear but that would only happen if he just swallowed his pride and took care of his issue.

He closed his eyes and allowed himself to breathe. If he imagined that it was his professor's hands assisting him, he would get aroused faster. Byleth wasn't the type of person to understand this type of interaction. If he wasn't so straight laced, perhaps he would have loosened up. But the point of imaginations was just that. Imaginations.

As of late, stroking wasn't enough. Things were easier before meeting Byleth. Back then, Claude just needed to think of someone and he would have finished up rather quickly. Now, the only person in his mind was his professor.

Claude bit his lip not daring to make a sound. Even if he was alone, he already cursed himself to doing something he hated.

If Byleth wasn't his professor and he wasn't so emotionless, how would he react to his usually charming student brought into an emotional state? Shivers ran down Claude's spine just thinking about Byleth as just an older male partner...his talented hands would work on pumping him. His thumb would be circling itself at the tip of his needy penis. He would force Claude to lean back into his chest. Byleth always wore many layers of clothing in order to not distract his students...unlike his sister. Beth made it clear she had a beautiful body underneath her clothes. Since they were twins, Byleth must have had the most handsome muscles and pecs…

"Teach…"

If Byleth understood the words of the first encounter, it would be apparent he was being cryptic. Beth took it as something else entirely, sure...but if Byleth thought the same way as her, then he would know to have his other hand wrap around his neck and squeeze the air out of him slightly.

It wasn't enough though. He couldn't replicate the image in his mind. Even if his cock twitched at idea of his professor strangling him, it wasn't going to be enough to make him cum. The Golden Deer leader whined to himself. He released his grip on his cock. The feeling was painful but just stroking wasn't enough...he needed more…

"Hah...dammit…"

Claude would never lower himself to this point. Showing weakness even to himself was a huge no. Any weakness shown would mean getting stabbed in the back. Yet, he imagined himself giving in to his strict professor. He laid on his stomach and stuck his ass up in the air. His body trembled thinking about the older man on top of him. Claude hesitated for a moment. He didn't have anything to prepare himself but his mind had already surrendered to his fantasy. He awkwardly pushed his fingers lightly to his hole. The sound he made caused him to tremble in anticipation.

These weren't his fingers teasing his entrance. Byleth was the one that finally decided to remove his glove and prod his entrance. Claude didn't mind if his teacher was being rough. He just wanted stimulation.

"Ahh…"

Byleth was a man of few words. He wouldn't ask Claude how he was feeling. He would only give a stern countenance before deciding to push his fingers in. Claude felt nothing but shame with how he was ready to cum just from one finger. His imagination of Byleth had two fingers in him but reality wasn't as kind. He could barely fit one finger inside without causing some amount of pain without preparation. Taking a deep breath, Claude forced his finger to go deeper. His other hand found its way back toward his now dripping cock. Slowly, he started stroking again.

"Haah...ahh...By...leth…"

At this point, Claude would have taken an arrow and shot himself for calling out to Byleth. Claude was fortunate to be able to have a nickname just for him. If he were to be formal and address him as his name, he probably wouldn't be able to maintain a straight face. Here in his room...it should be okay to be honest...just a bit.

Claude was reaching a point where one finger wasn't going to be enough to arouse him. He needed to put a second one in even if it was rather painful. Torturing himself was normal at this point. He shouldn't even be thinking of these cursed feelings.

But he was so close. He just needed to push his mind to the limits…

Byleth...he _should_ know what Claude needed to finish up. The reality was that Byleth probably wouldn't be able to make it to this point. He was just so clueless in reading the atmosphere outside of combat that it was a sad thing to see in a man. Yet, here he was using his charm to get someone like him to open up.

If Byleth acted like his sister, it would be all over for him. Byleth would push his fingers deep until he hit his prostate. He'd be the type to accidentally ruin the mood with using medical terms to describe how Claude felt at an important moment. Byleth was better off keeping his mouth shut-.

"Hnnng!"

He forced his second finger in. His hole couldn't handle it but he was too far gone to care. If he could just touch the sweet spot with his fingers like Byleth could, then...then…

"Byleth...ahh...ahh..."

His professor was ruining him. His professor's chest would touch his naked back. The scent of chamomile would engulf Claude's senses. He would blow on his ear softly. Close...so close…

" _ **Let go, Claude."**_

Would Byleth ever say that? It's not like Claude had a good image of his teacher anyway. Everything was too much though.

"Ahh...cum-."

He couldn't even finish his sentence. Claude let out a watered down moan as he came into his sheets. His two fingers never reached the sweet spot he wanted but in his mind, Byleth did. He cried out in ecstasy as pleasure washed over him. His voice started escalating ever so slightly the more he called for his beloved professor. All Claude could do was smack his face into the sheets to contain his moans.

Byleth...that man had taken over his mind and body, and Claude couldn't stop himself from doing it. Lust and fatigue attacked him at the same time as his orgasm soon came to an end. Too tired to move. Too tired to remind himself how he fucked up. Too tired to realize that he was going to fall asleep with nothing but his professor in his mind...

* * *

Claude woke up earlier than he wanted. Last night reminded him how pathetic he was. Today wasn't going to be better but it was better to force a smile to show that he wasn't hurting.

What happened in his room stayed in said room. The last thing the Leicester Alliance Leader wanted was for someone to find out he had a not so obvious crush on his teacher and it got leaked to any of his relatives. He really didn't need to be reminded on "proper" behavior.

The last thing he wanted was for another rumor to spread and then those damn nobles questioning his heritage again.

_Don't think about it. Don't think about it. Don't think about it._

He was tired. His body didn't want to move but he had a duty. Sighing, he forced himself to get out of bed. He needed to clean up from last night. Beth would be that type of person to sneak into his room for anything and address him directly. He had been caught with some questionable items in his room before (and he wasn't the only one. Apparently, Beth was always going into Hubert's room on a daily basis to see the stuff he snuck in.) So he needed to hide his stuff better or lock it up.

In this case, he just needed to make sure she didn't look at his sheets…

Claude made himself strip the sheets. Anything that showed signs of affection needed to be removed.

A knock at the door caused him to flinch. Fortunately, he was alone so no one would see how surprised he was.

"Claude."

Why was Byleth at the door?! Did he really think he wouldn't do the assignment?

"I know you have not left the room."

Claude chose not to answer and silently went to throw the sheets in a place where Beth wouldn't search. Just somewhere where she wouldn't unravel the sheets, see the stains and then question who Claude was trying to open his heart to…

"...I am sorry about last night."

Byleth was still talking. He didn't care if Claude didn't respond. He already made the decision that he was and continued talking. Claude felt his heart twist. His teacher was the worst…

"Beth told me I should pay closer attention to my words."

 _You finally realized that. Huh?_ Claude thought darkly to himself. He went to get a different pair of sheets.

"You have not been acting like your usual, annoying self recently," Byleth continued. "I am not good with seeing emotional distress unless I am on the battlefield. If there is anything on your mind, you are free to speak to me about it."

Still no response. Claude refused to give in.

"...While I still expect you to work on your essay and then focus on your flying lessons...you are allowed to have a break."

That's not what Claude wanted to hear. He sighed as he went over to the door and opened it. Byleth kept a straight face when he finally got a response.

"Teach, what time is it…?"

"6:45."

Claude delivered the longest stare to his professor. Byleth wasn't human if he could stare without blinking.

"..."

"My sister told me I should speak to you first thing in the morning. I wanted you to know that my room is open if something is on your mind."

"...Teach...you know she meant when class started...not literally the first thing you do when you wake up…"

How has no one else woken up to Byleth in front of the dorms yet? Wasn't there anyone patrolling?!

"I wanted to apologize first thing in the morning," Byleth answered honestly. "I do not like it when you are not throwing your best insults at me."

So he thinks his flirting was just petty insults? Byleth was so dense…

"It could have waited."

Byleth shook his head. "You are one of my best students, so I needed to tell you."

If Claude wasn't awake before, he was now.

"Huh."

His mind was taking too long to process it. Did Byleth praise him?

"Again, I am sorry for my words last night. I still expect the paper but if you are exhausted, please spend the day to rest. I will let Beth know in case she thinks you committed truancy."

Byleth would have ended the conversation right there and left without another word. He really was bad at ending conversations especially when he was being blunt.

"W-Wait, Teach!"

Byleth was this close to turning around. This time, Claude got him to stop.

But what was he supposed to say? He just didn't want the teal haired professor to leave. Not after what had happened last night...not after he gave into a bit of his lust...not…

"T-Thanks…"

Fuck! Why was he stuttering?! Blame it on fatigue. Byleth wouldn't think of anything else.

The leader of the Golden Deers made the mistake to look up. He must have been dreaming because Byleth was definitely not smiling at him. Nope, Byleth didn't know how to smile…

"Take care of yourself."

Claude was left speechless. Byleth turned his back completely and walked away. If he was up this early, he would probably go fishing before class started.

Claude closed his door slowly so no one else would walk by his room and see the expression plastered on his face. He blinked once, blinked twice...before he shook his head and groaned.

"...You're a jerk, Teach…" Claude grumbled. "I'm the one that's supposed to be playing games…"

Unfortunately, as long as Byleth continued to be the same oblivious professor, there wasn't much Claude could manipulate. Then again...maybe manipulation wasn't needed if he could just open up…

**Author's Note:**

> Done with 6630 words. Notes.
> 
> 1\. The specific type of "agnosia" that I headcanon Byleth has is social emotional agnosia. It literally means he can't process facial expressions and body language thus leading to him being socially inept. However, this doesn't stop him from being a good teacher and a great mercenary because it's still possible to be able to learn about a person from how they do in combat to their work ethic.
> 
> 2\. Romeo x Juliet is an old anime. I can imagine that this would be in the Fire Emblem universe with a lot of FE to the spin...like how Juliet is a pegasus knight and Romeo is a prince etc.
> 
> 3\. From the thani bombs leaks, it seems that Claude might have a father. We'll know in a few days but it just seems like something that Claude would keep under wraps. Most of the students seem to have daddy issues in general though so…
> 
> But assuming that Claude does have a father, his mind starts betraying him near the end. I think it's safe to say Claude has trust issues but why is a mystery still. For now, I'm saying it pertains to his father and the idea of something being leaked to his father scares Claude. Right now, while flirting with his teacher was all fun and games, falling in love and letting himself open up to Byleth is opening a can of worms he doesn't want to pursue. And Byleth fails to grasp the concept of romance if he sees the senders of letters a bunch of leeches. To be fair, I can already envision Manuela dumping letters and Byleth got the message and doesn't want to deal with her.


End file.
